 Jon Dahl
Tomasson scored late in either
half to give Denmark a vital
2-1 win over Uruguay here on
Saturday in their opening World
Cup Group A match at the Gwanjgu
World Cup Stadium.
With group favourites
France having been stunned by
Senegal in Friday's tournament-opener
both sides were looking to take
full advantage.
And it was Newcastle
reject Tomasson who stormed
to the top of the goalscoring
charts with fine finishes on
the stroke of half-time and
then seven minutes from the
end to give the Danes the points.
Tomasson side-footed
home a Jesper Gronkjaer cross
to break the deadlock and give
the Danes a lead they barely
deserved in terms of possession.
Dario Rodriguez
smashed home a brilliant left-foot
volley from some 25 metres for
the equaliser barely two minutes
after the restart, netting only
his third goal in the light
blue of the 'Charruas'.
But Tomasson,
who had a nightmare with Newcastle
five years ago but refound his
form at Dutch side Feyenoord,
winning the UEFA Cup this season
to earn a big-money move to
AC Milan, struck the winner
when it seemed the game was
headed for a draw. The 25-year-old
outjumped two static defenders
to power home a header after
a cross from Martin Jorgensen. Milan appear to
have bought the right man if
Tomasson's finishes are anything
to go by.
Rodriguez, a 27-year-old
Ronaldo lookalike tried his
party piece again some 15 minutes
later - but this time an oustretched
Danish leg got in the way.
Thereafter the
contest, which had been end-to-end
in the opening period, developed
into more of a tactical game
of chess.
But the Danes
had a trump card in fired-up
Tomasson - and their opponents
lost theirs when Inter Milan
star Alvaro Recoba, who had
been carrying a leg muscle injury
all week but reported fit enough
to start, went off with 20 minutes
remaining having been at the
hub of most of his side's best
moves until then.
The Uruguayans,
playing their first finals since
1990 and looking to avenge a
6-1 beating in the 1986 competition
against the Danes, made the
better start as strikers Sebastian
Abreu and Dario Silva put the
Danish defence under pressure.
Uruguay coach
Victor Pua risked leaving Richard
Morales on the bench despite
the striker's two goals in the
playoff win which sent Uruguay
through to the finals at Australia's
expense last November. By the time Morales
came on for Abreu in the 88th
minute it was too late.
The Danes were
relying on Schalke striker Ebbe
Sand to blossom as he did in
1998, when the Scandinavians
reached the quarters before
an unlucky loss to Brazil, soon
found their rhythm as Everton's
Thomas Gravesen cracked the
whip in midfield.
And Sand was desperately
unlucky in the 12th minute when
he saw a diving header bounce
up and hit the bar with keeper
Fabian Carini beaten. But it was Tomasson
who stole the limelight.
Chelsea flier
Gronkjaer was proving a thorn
in Uruguay's flesh and Gustavo
Mendez was booked on 25 minutes
for bringing down the Dane -
who withdrew from the fray midway
through the second half to be
replaced by Jorgensen of Italian
outfit Udinese.
Martin Laursen
crunched into Abreu as Kuwaiti
referee Saad Mane added his
name to his notebook.
Uruguay
Carini, Mendez, Sorondo, Montero, Rodriguez (Magallanes 87), Garcia, Guigou , Varela, Silva, Abreu (Morales 88), Recoba (Regueiro 80).
Goal: Rodriguez 47
Denmark
Sorensen, Henriksen, Laursen, Heintze (Niclas Jensen 57), Helveg, Tofting, Gravesen, Gronkjaer (Jorgensen 70), Tomasson, Sand (Poulsen 89), Rommedahl.
Goals: Tomasson 45, 83.
Att: 30,157
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